FILLY CLAIMS THE FIRST STAKES VICTORY OF HER YOUNG CAREER
Equine Sales Oaks
Evangeline Downs, 5-4-18, 1 Mile, $75,000
3yo fillies
SPECIAL BLESSING
Flat Out – Langsyne
Breeder: J. Adcock
Owner: Coteau Grove Farms LLC
Trainer: W. Bret Calhoun
Jockey: R. Morales
2nd
Yes Gorgeous
Mass Media–Isn’t She Gorgeous
Breeder: J. Adcock & Montgomery Equine Center
Owner: Scott Gelner
Trainer: Scott Gelner
Jockey: Diego Saenz
3rd
Bella Cajun
Bellamy Road–Cajun Candy
Breeder: Cypress Bend Farm
Owner: Dore, Ralph and Gautreau, Keith
Trainer: Ralph J. Dore
Jockey: Cristina Bonilla
OPELOUSAS, LA – Special Blessing, owned by Coteau Grove Farms, LLC and trained by Bret Calhoun, won the first stakes race of her five-race career in the $75,000 Equine Sales Oaks at Evangeline Downs on Fridaynight. The filly was ridden to victory by Roberto Morales, who was riding her for the first time ever.
Special Blessing sat just off of a very slow pace being set by an 18-1 maiden, Bella Cajun and Yes Gorgeous, who was the only horse in the field with multiple victories entering Friday night. Those two dueled through dawdling fractions of 25.69 seconds for the quarter-mile and 51.24 seconds for the half-mile. Special Blessing made her move on the far turn and she and Yes Gorgeous went on to engage through the stretch before Special Blessing put her rival away to win by 1-3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:40.33 for the mile over the fast track.
The winner was sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of seven by the betting public. Special Blessing returned $4.60 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.40 to show. Yes Gorgeous paid $2.40 to place and $2.20 to show, while Bella Cajun held third and paid $5.80 to show.
Special Blessing is a 3-year-old filly bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock. She is by Flat Out and out of the Langfuhr mare, Langsyne. Special Blessing has now won two of her five lifetime starts and the $45,000 first-place purse increases her lifetime earnings to $85,930.
Evangeline Downs will resume live racing on Saturday with a nine-race program. The featured event on the Saturday card is the $75,000 Equine Sales Derby with Double Star listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the field of eight. The track will also be offering the simulcast of the 144th Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs at approximately 5:50 pm and the live racing program will start shortly thereafter.
For more information on the Thoroughbred season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track’s website atwww.evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs’ Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.
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